Show I I V - 'll 13 Opinion 15 Crossworcf16 The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday March 2 2000 state stands on gays Religion roport Modestbridal gowns r IDS brides and others seeking a : By JoLynne J Lyon features writer In foe end participants pled for tolerance from both sides Bridgeriand Metropolitan Community Church The issues of gays in churches is a Pastor Kellv Byrnes asked his listeners to look beyond the labels of orgacharged one Said several of the clergy who spoke to a group of gay les-- nized religions and accept people as bian bisexual and transgendered individuals “There are good people students at Utah State University in every church” he said of the Mark Dustin But while some clergy members Pride! Alliance encouraged the visitsaid the leaders of their religions ing clergy to go back work with were still debatiqg the gay issue the their congregations and remember atmosphere in the room was relaxed that gays are their relatives and even as foey told the Pride! Alliance about their children Here is a brief summary of the six their religions — and about the Representatives reception gays could expect from presentations stressed that they were speaking for their local congregations more modest alternative to today' wedding gowns may want to check out a new Web she LatterDayBridexom ' The site offers designenand bridal shops a free (dace to advertise dresses with high necklines and backs preferred by Mormons and some other religious denominations Also offered through the site are wedding rings tuxedos invitations and honeymoon travel booking skin-bari- ng ‘ Care packages Great Harvest Bread Co of Provo and MIC Cookies have joined forces to provide a variety of care packages for IDS missionaries in die Missionary Thuning Center and around the world MTC Cookies will continue to be available online at wwwjntcook-iescoor by calling toll free Now families or friends can also send their mission- ary a care package by visiting the Great Harvest Bread store in Logan which will arrange delivery to foe MTC through foe ftovo store or ship boxes directly to other locations around the country MTC Cookies has been delivering warm chocolate chip cookies to missionaries serving in the Missionary Triuning Center for over four yean The company also provides a variety of care packages for missionaries serving in foe United States and throughout foe world MTC Cookies sponsors and oper-- 1 ates a free missionary letter delivery service called MFC Free Mail (wwwjntcfieemaiLcom) Users enjoy this service at no cost by simply logging on to foe site and writing a letter to their missionary in the MTC Letten are printed and delivered daily lf God is bve and cre- ation overflows with this idea it doesn’t matter what you are " —Rev David McFarland themselves and not for their churches asa whole Cache Valley Fellowship -- Historically said Minister David McFarland Unitari Unitarian-Univer-sali- st - ans were considered heretics in the earlier days of Christianity since they believed in one God (they did not accept die idea of a Trinity) who believe that God is love joined with Unitarians in 1961 Uni-versali- and the church progressed from being a liberal Christian church to a liberal religion “If God is love and creation overflows with this idea it doesn't matter what you are” McFarland said “What matters is your grounding in this great enterprise of love” In 1973 the church’s ruling See GAYS ion Rage 14 m View construction Deseret Book Co has installed a ' ' Uve webcam that monitors construction of the Nauvoo Temple of the IDS Church via foe Internet Users can view foe construction virtually ' as it occurs by accessing the webcam URL at DeseretBookxomhau-vo- o The site refreshes every 60 seconds In foe first 48 hours since being made available the webcam page was visited by almost 1500 view-e- n le The site has been publicly for about two weeks According to developers the Nauvoo Temple webcam pictures will ' be archived m foe hope of develop- - ' online video of foe ing a time-lapreconstruction project Deseret Book Co is owned by Deseret Management Corp a affiliated with the corporation ' IDS Church avail-Vab- : se for-prof- it Prayer tips offered - - Most children are naturally drawn to speak with their higher power yet chikben often worry about whether foey are using the right words or methods to talk to God "Children have a lot of questions about prayer They have a right to expect the adults in their life to have some of the answers” says Susan Tsylor Brown author of the children's picture book "Can IPfay with my Eyes Openr Brgwn offers the following tips for opening a discussion about prayer with the children in your life Prayer is communication It can be spoken or silent It can be a song or a story It can be a picture or a dance Prayer can be done as often as you like Every week Every day Every hour Prayer can be done however you want There’s no right or wrong way to pray Prayer can be shared but doesn't have to be It can be done alone or with a favorite toy It can be done with friends family or pets Prayer can be done anywhere It can be done in your room or at foe kitchen table It can be done out in your yard at the park or even at the wo Prayer can be done in any mood You can be happy sad angry scared or confused when you pray Prayer can be for you or someone else If you know someone who could use a little help add them to your prayers Prayer doesn't need a certain structure length or specific words Prayer doesn't need a special occasion Prayer doesn't have to be a request Features: act tlvuuiajv ruA vioict - A group of local women has been at it for 10 years ' I By JoLynneJ Lyon features writer ' ' V If there were an award for IV I humility the members of the I Ladies' Bible Study group that meets at MaranathaBap-tis- t Church on Thunday mornings might win it Its membersmsist that foey are unremarkable Sure their group 1 almost always 100 percent female but that’s just because they meet in foe late mornings What they learn ' has significance for everyone not just women And even at Maranatha they are not the only ones another group meets upstairs f W -- Photo lustration by MMch Mascara ThiarenbiHlenodriioand foey study foe Bible but members say other groups do that too One group member even balked at the idea of being photographed — she really shouldn't be the focus of the story she said But when members are asked why they study the Bible foe conversation turns serious One woman remembers how her studies came to mind after her daughter a girl with some physical disabilities amrehomiefinom riding her bike around the neighborhood The child was crying coated in mud fort neighborhood boys had thrown at ho - The woman who asked that her name not be used remembers marching off to the boys’ house angry but still carrying a prayer in her heart On the way she remembered what she had been learning about loving others unconditionally in God’s way And as much to her surprise as anyone's she began the confrontation by saying she forgave the offenders “What was really awesome was that it didn’t just change me" she said “ft changed them” Since then the boys have been kinder Group discussion leader Valerie Byrnes said she made the decision to study the Bible when she felt the need to know God more A death in foe family — and then another— made her start dunking of eternal matters She wanted to know more Byrnes thinks others are drawn to God for foe same reasons Al) people have a void in their lives she said until they take that step to find their Creator She concluded that the only way she could know God was to study his word She has been with the group since 1992 Since then she said she has accepted the Bible as an unening “plumb line” for her life The group has been meeting since 1990 tackling topics like Genesis Old Testament history later history of Israel the Prophet The more I learn the more I realize I don ’tknow ’ — Pat Wilson discussion leader Daniel Kings and books of the New Testament The group began as a study and continues to contain members of different congregations Five churches were represented at one meeting in February Pat Wilson another group discussion leader has been studying with the group for five years "It just causes me to want to learn more about the Bible” she said "The more I learn the more I realize! don't know” The group is now starting a new series titled “Brericing Free: ” Making Liberty in Christianity a Reality For more information call Byroes at 752-11- 84 Give ’em heaven not hell By Kenneth W Godfrey An acquaintance of mine a few weeks ago told me that I was too nice in this column I listened politely as my friend encouraged me to replicate Harry Ttaunan in 1948 and “Give ’em hell!” Studying the Bible makes it dear that Amos Hosea Nathan Samuel and a host of other prophets were never accused of beating around foe bush They denounced sin and sinners and uncovered evil in the highest of places Even Jesus on occasion gave his listeners hell He called the Pharisees whited sepulchers filled with dead men's bonesWifo a whip he drove money changers from the temple and chastized those who gave their alms ia public shows of generosity When I left my friend I thought about what he had said Would more people change their behavior if more of us gave more of us hell7 Are swift anger plain speech unwillingness to compromise and angry confrontations the way to go? I think not when I am only 5’8” tall and weigh 130 pounds Sprinting maybe! Fis ticuffisno! Many coaches chew out theirplayen when they make mistakes While their tirades may cause a few athletes to exceed their best many others are driven from the hardwood the grass' and the asphalt to other activities wBere there is a bit more heaven and a tad less helL Bosses who motivate using fear punishment and abuse may raise profits for a brief shinning moment but in the end gain little Even religious leaders who offer more pain than hope seem to pull their followers down rather than lifting them up Some scholars argue that the scriptures depict at least two Gods One is a God of vengeance Then there is the God of compassionate love This Deity mourns with us in our sorrows comforts us in our pain forgives our sins and helps us carry our burdens So far in my long life when someone has given me hell it has only stiffened my back enlarged my determination and cemented my resistance Never have I responded well to abuse either physical or mwital- - Each time I became angry with my chikben and gave them hell I felt foolish after the tide of my wrath had gone out to sea Therefore I concluded long ago that I would much rather associate with the kind the forgiving the compassionate than the givers of heO I shall leave it to others to rant and rave and call down fire from heaven on the sinners I shall try to offer hope love and liberty Give 'em hell? Why not offer heaven instead? God does! KannoCh W Godfray la a raNgtoua historian Iving In Logan Ha la a tormar director of Sts Logan InstRuta o( RsOgion Htooohjmn Bakker back with pleas for FORT MYERS Fla (AP) — Back in the pulpit fallen televangelist Jim Bakker is preach-in- g a message of forgiveness and ymUntanHing while planning a new TV network with former Green Bay Packer Reggie White Bakker and his first wife Tammy led a talk show cable network and theme park until be was convicted in 1989 of defrauding followers of $158 million “Some of you hate me I can tell Bakker told 2700 people at First Assembly of God Church “How many of you want to go to heaven?” As peo- pie raised their hands Bakker r pointed and said "You've got to love me” appears avory Thursday on tiiapogo Features: 752-212- 1 1 752-21- 21 |